Discusses the steps to ensure that assessment leads to genuine improvement: (1) agreeing on goals based on recognized standards; (2) establishing yearly objectives that help meet those goals; (3) developing a formal method for reporting the attainment of those objectives; and (4) using the assessment of the program as a part of the media…

Increasingly, "collaboration" between business, non-profit, health and educational agencies is being championed as a powerful strategy to achieve a vision otherwise not possible when independent entities work alone. But the definition of collaboration is elusive and it is often difficult for organizations to put collaboration into practice and…

There is increasing interest among policymakers and practitioners in tapping the potential of family, friends, volunteers, peer support groups, and mutual aid organizations to help prevent violence. The popularity of these informal social support (ISS) interventions stems, in part, from their flexibility, responsiveness to individual needs, and…

While resources are abundant for helping the mentor and the new teacher, very little has been written to guide the leaders of teacher and mentor development. This book provides an effective, proven model for developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining an induction and mentoring program that results in highly qualified teachers. A…

Beginning teachers are often filled with self-doubt and questions regarding school culture and principals' expectations. This book helps one answer teachers' questions and gain strategies to prevent the isolation that many new instructors experience. Updated to meet the challenges facing new teachers today, this revision of the bestseller helps…

This report summarizes key findings from the literature on effective developmental education practice. It is designed to promote discussion among community college educators and state agency staff in Connecticut as they consider how to improve outcomes for their many students who are academically unprepared to succeed in college. One common theme…

The purpose of this research is to discuss development of the Logistical Tracking System (LTS)1 and evaluate the changes in processes and procedures at the University of Texas-Dallas (UT-Dallas) that were due to implementation of a new type of technology. The chapter elaborates on the positive and negative aspects of designing and constructing a…

This parameter presents overarching principles and practices for child and adolescent mental health care in community systems of care. Community systems of care are defined broadly as comprising the wide array of child-serving agencies, programs, and practitioners (both public and private), in addition to natural community supports such as…

This paper offers a case history of one university academic department's experience with the pressure to create online scholarship opportunities for professional educators. As tertiary education transforms its course delivery to Web-based learning management platforms, instructors are challenged to transform career-long practice suddenly and…

To be effective in providing a writing literacy program, regardless of communication approaches, educators should establish program-wide conditions that promote English writing literacy over time. The researcher's purpose for this study was to identify shared characteristics of writing intervention programs in three different communication school…

This Guide is intended to share the insights of SEDL's National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning (the National Partnership) as well as information about both the academic and the organizational and management practices that successful afterschool programs use. The authors have organized these practices into the following four focus…

"Impact" is possibly the most frequently evaluated construct associated with any kind of technological diffusion or adoption within educational settings. Seemingly endless research projects are funded to measure it and to validate the educational value we have become adept at inscribing into practically all novel technologies brought to…

This study assessed Head Start grantees' and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) staff's experiences during recent program expansions and their ability to handle future expansions. A random sample of 80 regional and American Indian Head Start grantees and delegates, along with staff at…

This paper describes a faculty-designed program evaluation procedure established at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, focusing on the Communication Department. The assessment potential of this process is examined and, following an explication of the process itself and the Program Evaluation Committee (PEC) Report, the five elements…

With constant changes taking place in the practice of public relations, evaluation and modification are requisite to maintaining a competitive degree program with competitive graduates. Whether a program is in the process of being developed or is being evaluated for certification or reaccreditation, it is critical to look to current and future…